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BITE user comments - MarkVP

Comments by MarkVP

Pint Shop, Cambridge

Sorry, Blue_Scrumpy, Pint Shop Oxford has closed.

28 Jan 2020 08:21

The Town House, Llandudno

@john44837 - Dafad Du, the name is Welsh, but the beer isn't. Dafad Du means Black Sheep, and the beer is brewed by the Black Sheep Brewery of Masham, Yorkshire.

21 Sep 2016 07:48

The Wheatsheaf, Hay on Wye

Now Tomatitos Tapas Bar.

3 Jul 2014 08:31

The Garway Moon Inn, Garway

New owners since november 2013. It says "Garway Inn" on the front of the building, but that's an older name and the letters are incorporated in the wall.
Beautiful building in a wonderful setting on the more isolated Garway Common. The Garway Moon is a very lively country pub, with pizza nights on Wednesday and curry nights on Thursday. Well cooked food in generous portions, with fresh and local ingredients sourced mainly from the village's own farmers. We had three meals in the Garway Moon when we were travelling through Herefordshire, all wonderfully fresh and tasty.
Three to four ales, all in excellent condition. The bar area and the dining area are a bit separated, so there are crowds in both places enjoying beer and food.
The Garway Moon also does accommodation. We had a massive room which was extremely comfortable.
The new owners Neil and Joanna are very welcoming, friendly and helpful. I don't know how this pub was before, but it definitely was the top location of our travels through Herefordshire.
Really really excellent!

30 Jun 2014 10:13

The New Inn, Pembridge

Excellent ancient pub in Herefordshire's Black & White villages. Well kept beers, rotating guest beer which is always interesting. Rustic uneven benches at the back overlooking the old market place, and other benches underneath the old market house. Wonderful setting, strikingly beautiful building. Very friendly staff who helped us out to find accommodation. We came back several times when touring through Herefordshire. Excellent.

30 Jun 2014 10:03

Sun Inn, Leintwardine

Wonderfully preserved parlour pub, tastefully extended with a back room and bar. Great guest beers and wonderful local still cider. Excellent.

30 Jun 2014 09:56

The Packhorse Inn, Bakewell

I've spent an excellent 5 days in the village of Little Longstone a few weeks ago. The Packhorse is as good as ever.
A tiny pub, with three small rooms, open fires in two rooms. A very warm welcome, fantastic food (it can be quite busy during weekends so booking is advised), four excellent Thornbridge beers on cask. And fantastic staff!
Full marks.

3 Dec 2013 16:51

The Square and Compass, Worth Matravers

Bloody brilliant! The place is very popular, and with good reason!
Old building full of character (and low ceilings - ouch), huge selection of ciders (amongst which the landlord's own). Simple food, just meat and vegetable pies, but it doesn't take anything more than that.
Interesting museum at the back. Very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful staff. Simply a world class pub! We were staying in the area, and went back every day (and for longer than we expected). Top ratings!

17 Jul 2013 12:30

The Warren House Inn, Postbridge

Absolutely brilliant! Not really a fan of the Otter, but the scrumpy cider was excellent. The pub stands completely alone on the side of the road (Moretonhampstead to Postbridge) and has a spectacular view across the moors. Beer garden in the moors, or on cold/rainy/windy days you can warm yourself by the open fire.
A perfect place for a rest. Idyllic, with lots of character, and very sociable, friendly and chatty landlord & staff. Absolutely perfect.

17 Jul 2013 12:24

The Castle Inn, West Lulworth

Oh yes!
Lovely building with lots of character, garden at the rear, and tables in front of the building where you can enjoy the sunshine.
They do good food and they have very confortable rooms if you're staying the night. They also have a permanent cider festival with 23 real ciders, which you can taste in 1/3 pint measures. You get a free booklet with full details of the ciders, so you can "tick them off" when you've tasted them.
Absolutely brilliant, and very friendly and helpful staff too. Can't fault it.

17 Jul 2013 12:18

The Bush Inn, Morwenstow

Beautiful old building with lots of character, St. Austell ales in cracking form and a lovely scrumpy cider. Nice food, friendly service, just great all round!

17 Jul 2013 12:12

The Cider Bar, Newton Abbot

Most excellent! One of the just 4 remaining Cider Houses in the UK. No beer, just cider, perry and fruit wines.
A huge number of ciders and fruit wines stocked behind the bar, extremely knowledgeable staff who help you choose according to your taste. Sparkling or still, sweet, medium or dry, clear or cloudy...
We ended up staying quite a bit longer than expected! Great!

17 Jul 2013 12:08

City Arms, Wells

We got a very friendly welcome in this pub, not at all like previous comments. We ended up staying for two nights (the pub also does accommodation). They have four very luxurious rooms, each with their own personal theme. They offered us one of the most beautiful rooms for the price of the smaller room.
Beer choice was limited, but varied during our stay, and was of excellent quality, as was the cider.
The food was outstanding and of a very high quality.
They were indeed sometimes short staffed and sometimes you had to wait at the bar, but we were always served very politely and friendly.

17 Jul 2013 12:03

The Riflemans Arms, Glastonbury

Enjoyed quite a few pints in this cool pub, watching the world go by. Nice!

17 Jul 2013 11:53

The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe

Lovely traditional pub with excellent food, but drinkers are very welcome. Nice selection of ales with usually something from the nearby Wild Beer brewery.
The fire was burning, and they had Wild Beer's Fresh on cask. Easily in my top 10 best beers ever!
Very welcoming and we ended up staying longer than we thought!

17 Jul 2013 11:44

The Rose and Crown, Huish Episcopi

Just two ales on, and not the most interesting ones, but the place is just a gem. No bar counter, no serving hatch, just some pumps mounted against the wall.
Very friendly landlady, lovely and chatty locals. Excellent pub!

17 Jul 2013 11:36

The Halfway House, Pitney

A real gem! Spoilt for choice alewise, all served directly from the cask. The pub was very busy during lunch time, and although we didn't eat, the food looked very nice.
Friendly service, no nonsense decor, cosy and welcoming. A really nice country pub. I wish more pubs were like this.

17 Jul 2013 11:32

The Dagda Bar, Edinburgh

Small one bar pub, with friendly and knowledgeable service. Small but nice selection of real ale from Scottish micro breweries (Highland Brewing's excellent Orkney IPA and Raj from Tryst).
Friendly and chatty landlord, some lively locals and students.
Darkish and cosy interior, very nice experience.

26 Sep 2012 09:56

The Southern Bar, Edinburgh

Looks very much like the Holyrood 9A. Great hangout, quite big but with a few cosy corners. We didn't try the food, but it's mainly burgers style (the selection seemed impressive though).
Impressive line up of lots and lots of real ale and craft kegs from the fonts behind the bar (again, very much like Holyrood 9A). Great beers from Summer Wine, Hawkshead and many other very fine breweries.
Impressed with this one!

26 Sep 2012 09:52

The Canon's Gait, Edinburgh

Nice pub, open for both drinkers and eaters. Food was amazing and good value, great beers from Tempest and Tryst, friendly and helpful service.
Very good!

26 Sep 2012 09:48

Cloisters Bar, Edinburgh

Great selection of beers, both from local producers and from craft breweries further afield. We had some absolute gems from Bristol Beer Factory on our visit. Cosy pub with lots of pale woods, well informed and friendly staff, beers well looked after. Mixed crowd of students and locals, people reading newspapers, very nice atmosphere, welcoming and homely. Great!

26 Sep 2012 09:45

The Bow Bar, Edinburgh

Great pub, impressive range of beers from craft breweries both local and further afield. Two or three beers from Summer Wine when we visited.
Well informed staff, beautiful interior with lots of wood and mirrors. An absolute jewel!

26 Sep 2012 09:42

The Holyrood Tavern, Edinburgh

Impressive selection of ales and kegs from the fonts behind the bar. Beers from Moor, Hawkshead, Camden Town, Magic Rock, Tempest,...
Quite large and modern looking bar, with a few cosy corners. Staff are efficient and friendly, beer is well kept.
We didn't try the food, which is mainly burgers-style, but the selection seemed very impressive.
Good place to hang out, a treasure!

26 Sep 2012 09:39

The Cobbles Inn, Kelso

Utterly fantastic!
Best food for miles around, local produce, great value, fine dining, refined or easy grub: everything is possible.
Absolutely wonderful staff, very friendly and extremely helpful and professional. The manager (Michael ?) is an absolute treasure: professional and friendly, well in charge of everthing that happens around him.
You can come here for a gastronomic feast, but drinkers are welcome. And drinkers have every reason to visit this pub: it is the brewery tap for the local Tempest Brewing Company who're producing some absolutely cracking beers. Up to four or five ales from Tempest are available. At the moment of our visit they had Into the Light, Emanation Pale Ale, the heavier Pale Ale, Cresta Black and Brave New World IPA (keg).
Absolutely amazing pub. Great food, great beers, great service, expert and friendly staff. 10 out of 10!

26 Sep 2012 09:23

The Fox and Hounds Inn, Denholm

Fantastic little local pub, on the village green. Lunch was simple but good value.
There's always a beer on from the nearby Scottish Borders Brewery, which is always fantastic.
Dedicated landlord, very friendly and helpful. Very friendly and chatty locals, there's a great atmosphere that makes the pub very welcoming and homey.
Open fire in the main room, very well looked after beers.
Excellent pub, absolutely recommended!

26 Sep 2012 09:17

The Cannon, Jedburgh

Busy locals pub in Jedburgh, a lively abbey town in the Scottish Borders. Friendly locals always ready for a chat, very friendly and helpful owners and staff. Usually two real ales on, one of them from the nearby Scottish Borders Brewery which is always excellent.
Very friendly and homely!

26 Sep 2012 09:14

The Cambridge Blue, Cambridge

Scruffy yet welcoming pub with a massive range of real ales and foreign beers. Well stocked fridges and an impressive line up of craft ales from all over the country.

26 Sep 2012 09:09

The Half Moon Inn, Plumpton

Very nice gastropub, excellent food from local producers. Very cosy, great and friendly service.
Although a gastropub, they've an interesting range of mainly local ales that are well looked after. A nice place to relax over a good meal, absolutely recommended.

26 Sep 2012 09:02

The Partridge, Partridge Green

Very busy local pub that has made an incredible turnaround since being taken over by the nearby Dark Star brewery.
Busy yet friendly and efficient, cracking choice of excellent Dark Star beers that are well looked after. Absolutely recommended, great stuff!

26 Sep 2012 08:56

The Hare and Hounds, Cowfold

Cracking good local pub, with fantastic food (huge portions) and well looked after beers. Great choice of local ales (Dark Star was amongst them), very friendly service, great atmosphere. Excellent!

26 Sep 2012 08:50

The Three Tuns, Hotwells

Cosy, more modern pub with lots of pale wood. Great selection of excellent Arbor Ales. Busy place of lunch, which is excellent too.

26 Sep 2012 08:48

The Black Bull, Haworth

Seemed a bit grubby, beer choice was poor and the drinks were not in terrific condition.

26 Sep 2012 08:44

The Fleece Inn, Haworth

Lively pub with both locals and tourists, friendly service and good ales from Timmy Taylor. Live music and a great guest ale at the moment of our visit.

26 Sep 2012 08:42

The Brewery Tap, Peterborough

Large, clean pub that still retains a feeling of cosiness. Excellent food and a brilliant range of well looked after ales from Oakham.

26 Sep 2012 08:39

The Bell Inn, Caerleon

Edit: Tommy Cooper, not Benny Hill... ;-)

9 Sep 2011 21:21

The Bell Inn, Caerleon

Impressive cider and perry menu, lovely interior, Benny Hill jokes in the toilet to keep you occupied.
Friendly staff, always willing to give extra information about the ciders, and very ready to help out with any questions.
Food was well priced, some original dishes, very large portions and very well cooked. High standards all round, huge cheeseboard (the landlord said he had put on some extra, seeing that we were two).
Pretty damn good place!

9 Sep 2011 12:14

King Arthurs Arms, Tintagel

Very large pub that doesn't look particularly clean or cosy. Quite a lot of slot machines. We didn't try the food, which looked average.
The beers however were excellent. Great choice of the local Tintagel Brewery, the only place around that had so many of them, and in top condition too.

9 Sep 2011 12:05

The Rising Sun Inn, Launceston

Friendly pub with excellent ale from the local Penpont Brewery. Two of these were on, but when we ordered the barrel on one of them just went off. Being off season at the time, and a week day, the landlord couldn't put another one on. That's a good decision if you're dedicated to quality!
So we had two pints of the other, but as we were interested in the beers, we got the half pint of the first beer for free, to get an idea what Penpont makes.
Very good pub, good beer, sensible and friendly landlord dedicated to quality. Excellent.

9 Sep 2011 12:01

Coach and Horses, Dronfield

Not a traditionalist pub, but a more stylish approach that radiates cleanliness, professionalism and a more upmarket classiness.
Excellent Thornbridge beers, a very clean house, and very friendly and extremely knowledgeable bar staff.
We visited three times, twice on the day they don't serve food. When they're not serving food they offer you free munchies (olives and the like). When they serve food, they politely ask you if you'll be eating. That's just so they can set the table. Drinkers are most welcome and the staff will take all the time needed to supply you with information about the beers.
We haven't tried the food yet, but as drinkers we were made very welcome.

9 Sep 2011 11:35

The Radnor Arms, Coleshill

Cracking pub with their own brewery behind the pub. Very tasty beers, cosy pub with lots of old beer memorabilia. Brilliant!

9 Sep 2011 10:52

Queen's Hotel, Ambleside

Seemed a bit quiet in the evenings, but otherwise OK. Hawkshead Windermere Pale and Cumbrian Legendary Ales were excellent.

8 Sep 2011 15:43

Twice Brewed, Hexham

Busy pub, efficiently run. Great beer selection and fantastic food.

8 Sep 2011 15:29

Ty Gwyn Inn, Betws-y-Coed

Gastropub, the food is absolutely fantastic. Although focus is on the food, they have some local beers in quality condition.

8 Sep 2011 13:49

The Gurnards Head, Zennor

As a gastropub: superb! Truly excellent food. OK, not a lot of beer, granted. But the food... died and gone to heaven!

8 Sep 2011 13:40

The Strands Hotel, Nether Wasdale

This pub has a great feel to it. They brew their own beers, and the atmosphere is fantastic. Happy locals cracking jokes all the time. Great.

8 Sep 2011 13:35

The Blisland Inn, Blisland

Great pub, dedicated to good beer kept in excellent condition. Beautifully situated, friendly staff and locals.

8 Sep 2011 13:30

The Kings Head, Norwich

Very nice place. No tv or noise, just two bar areas and people talking to each other. Extensive beer choice, kept in top condition. Excellent! We felt very welcome and stayed a lot longer than planned.

8 Sep 2011 13:27

The Star Inn, Crowlas

Great beer bar with its own microbrewery. Good beers, large selection of other local microbreweries. Good to see a blackboard with the selection and a list of beers to go on next.

8 Sep 2011 13:22

The White Horse, Oxford

Good beers from local breweries. It might get a bit busy, but during the afternoons or early evenings it's great. No tourist trap at all, friendly staff, well kept beers, very cosy. Excellent!

8 Sep 2011 13:19

The Fat Cat, Norwich

Spoilt for choice, alewise!
Well kept beers in excellent condition, a haven for beer lovers. It can get very crowded, but the atmosphere is good.

8 Sep 2011 13:14

Lamorna Wink, Penzance

Beautiful setting and nice interior, beautiful pub all round.
Beer choice a bit poor, with the usual suspects (Doom Bar & Betty Stoggs) which you find everywhere else.
Visited a couple of times in the pre summer period, a bit bleak with no other customers and a tad cold in there.

8 Sep 2011 13:10

The Peacock, Bakewell

Good beers from local brewery, but extremely overcharged. Tourist rip-off.
Very unfriendly staff, especially in the evening, being quite rude to the customers.
We have a masochistic stroke, so we tried it again twice, as we were spending quite a few days in town. Got treated very unfriendly and downright rude everytime by the lass behind the counter, so they lost our custom for the remainder of our stay.
We're staying in Bakewell on a regular basis, but they'll not see us again. There are limits...
Change the barstaff please!

8 Sep 2011 13:01

The Packhorse Inn, Bakewell

Superb Thornbridge beers, very friendly bar staff, friendly locals. Very nice little pub!

8 Sep 2011 12:53

The Royal Oak, Wantage

Spoilt for choice here, where beer is concerned. Very serious dedication to quality. Old fashioned interior, and very friendly locals and landlord who kept offering little tasters of all the beers.
I'm afraid we stayed slightly longer than expected, we felt that welcome. Brilliant pub!

8 Sep 2011 12:21

Hawkshead Brewery Beer Hall, Staveley

Visited several times over the couple of days we were in the area.
Wonderful beer, top condition, absolutely fabulous food. Contemporay modern bar with beer shop, open gallery where you can see the brewery.
Asked a lot of questions about the beer, always an honest answer and they even got one of the brewers to come down to have a chat.
I would also like to stress this: most friendly bar staff ever, bar none!
Top marks for this!

8 Sep 2011 12:16

The Rifleman, Twickenham

Visited a couple of times over the past two years, both before and after the change in management.
Always felt very welcome, bar staff always very friendly and helpful. Local beer (Twickenham Fine Ales) on tap, very well looked after.
Good luck to the new landlord & -lady. Keep up the good work!

8 Sep 2011 12:10

Exeter Inn, Topsham

Visited twice. Very much a local pub, with TV showing a lot of sports. Laid back sort of atmosphere, got chatty with the locals and the landlord who's an extremely friendly chap.
4 taps on, guest beer changes regularly. Landlord is dedicated to quality and looks after the ales extremely well. Nice stock up in the cellar for future guest beers.
Liked this pub a lot.

8 Sep 2011 12:06

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